


Off Base

by chimneysmoke (recension)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts Seventh Year, hogwarts at war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 08:03:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recension/pseuds/chimneysmoke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Ginny/Neville, I'm here whenever you want me"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Off Base

**Author's Note:**

> For the _Welcome Home_ Harry Potter LJ ficathon.
> 
> Original prompt: "ginny/neville, i'm here whenever you want me"

She watches as Neville brushes his cloak with care, the stiff bristles of the brush gathering dirt and dust off the wool. It's a muggle technique but it does the job better than a charm, and Gran always taught him the best way to do things even if they weren't the quickest.

Ginny watches him care for the cloak as he cares for all of his possessions, with tender hands and concentration. Neville's forgetful, but no one could accuse him of being careless. He murmurs about DA lessons, about how maybe they should have more of them, but he's speaking so softly she's not sure he was talking to her or just to himself.

He folds up the garment carefully when he's done, tucking it into his trunk atop a bed of chewing gum wrappers that Ginny doesn't need to ask about. He always has them with him, he keeps one in his pocket at all times.

She tucks up her legs underneath her and shuts her Herbology text, done with studying. She tosses it aside and it overshoots, falling to the floor with a heavy thud. Seamus looks up from his own work, but says nothing. Ginny's sat on every bed in the room at some point now, every bed but his. Still, he says nothing.

Neville reaches down and picks up the book, putting it on top of his closed trunk.

"I know you miss them," he says and Ginny wants to laugh, he's so off base.

"Neville," she sighs and takes his hand, stroking over the pulse of his wrist. "That's not what I'm thinking about at all."

Neville goes red but says nothing. He's sure he's imagining the subtext. She's his best friend, she's Harry's girl, even when she's not. And it seems stupid, silly, a waste to think of anything but the fact that they're probably all going to die.

"Whenever you feel... if you are... if you like me..." she strokes his wrist and blinks lazily. 

She's never been alone for long, and though she doesn't feel alone with him, she definitely feels hungry for something more than afternoons together and Herbology tutoring. As long as Harry's gone, he's gone. She tries to remind herself of that.

"I c-can't," he whispers, and out of the corner of her eye, Ginny can see Seamus blushing, wishing he was elsewhere. It embarrasses her. She kicks her legs up and slides from the bed, grabbing her discarded textbook.

"Okay," she says softly. "Forget I mentioned it," she murmurs, and excuses herself from the boys' dormitory quickly.


End file.
